Orthodontic brackets represent principal components of all corrective orthodontic treatments devoted to improving a patient's occlusion. In conventional orthodontic treatments used for cosmetic enhancement of teeth, brackets are affixed to the patient's teeth and an archwire is engaged into a slot of each bracket. The archwire applies corrective forces that coerce the teeth to move into correct positions. The archwire forms a track to guide movement of the brackets and the associated teeth to desired positions for correct occlusion.
Self-ligating orthodontic brackets have been developed that eliminate the need for ligatures by relying on a movable cover, such as a slide, for captivating the archwire within the bracket's archwire slot. Self-ligating orthodontic brackets provide greater patient comfort, shorter treatment time, reduced chair time in the dental operatory, and more precise control of tooth translation. Traditional ligatures (e.g., elastomeric ligatures or metal wires) are also difficult to apply to each individual bracket, which is simplified by self-ligating types of orthodontic brackets. Elastomeric ligatures, which may be susceptible to decay and deformation, may also contribute to poor oral hygiene. Self-ligation also reduces the risks of soft-tissue injury to the patient's mouth.
Conventional self-ligating orthodontic brackets are relatively large in comparison to orthodontic brackets that are ligated conventionally using a ligature. The size discrepancy arises because of the need to engineer the moving parts of the self-ligation mechanism into the construction of the orthodontic bracket. The size difference also results in a relatively high physical profile for self-ligating orthodontic brackets as these brackets project a greater distance from the tooth surface than conventionally-ligated orthodontic brackets. The result of these deficiencies is that self-ligating orthodontic brackets have a higher physical profile that may result in patient discomfort, higher visibility, and poor patient hygiene.
Accordingly, there is a need for a self-ligating orthodontic bracket characterized by a low physical profile that overcomes these and other deficiencies of conventional self-ligating orthodontic brackets.